Miles Shuler NFL Draft Scouting Report

Miles Shuler had a limited role in Northwestern's offense last season. He played most of the year on special teams and made occasional contributions as a wide receiver. Still, Northwestern's erstwhile punt returner in 2015 impressed with an excellent 40-yd dash in Northwestern's Pro Day, and his elite speed skill could be intriguing for NFL teams. On April 26, the Asbury Park Press reported that the New York Giants and Jets invited Shuler to their pro days.

Measurables

Shuler's Pro Day results were impressive from a speed standpoint. He ran a 4.38 40-yard dash his first time up, and then followed with a 4.37, which ranks him among the top receivers in the draft in terms of raw speed. His other speed-related tests were also impressive. However, his height, weight and hand size are all red flags for any NFL teams.

Strengths

- Miles Shuler is ridiculously fast. His 40 time and pure speed will attract some NFL interest. He showed potential as a punt returner, too.

Weaknesses

- Shuler is short and light. He is only listed at 5'9'' and 173 lbs.

- He never developed as a steady wide receiver despite his four-star recruit status. Although he gained more playing time after he left Rutgers, he did not produce very much for Northwestern. He made the occasional big catch, such as the play against Stanford and the play in the Illinois game, but when a receiver's notable plays in 2016 can be summarized in one sentence, that usually isn't good. His hands are suspect to put it lightly, a trait that will make it hard to survive in the pros.

Highlights

This highlight from the Minnesota game encompasses what NFL teams will want to get out of Shuler. His elusiveness, speed and on-field awareness are his most important traits, and they are all on display in this punt return. If Shuler gets a shot with an NFL team, it will likely be in special teams situations like this.

This is Shuler's longest reception of last season, a play which was broken down earlier this season by Ian McCafferty. Northwestern fooled Illinois on play action and let Shuler get wide open down the middle of the field. He makes a good catch and shows good speed at the start of the route, but Shuler was unable to do this consistently throughout his career at Northwestern.

Stats

Shuler only scored one touchdown in his college career at Rutgers and Northwestern combined. He was not able to return many punts for Northwestern, and he wasn't able to pull off too many long returns either. He scored no punt return or kick return touchdowns in his career. His longest return of his career was the play against Minnesota shown above. He only amassed 410 receiving yards in his career, and he caught just 15 passes in his last season at Northwestern with multiple drops. His stats in Northwestern's limited offense last year were not very impressive, and his career numbers will not draw much attention. It's all about the speed for Shuler.

Projections

- CBS Sports has Shuler as the 122nd-best receiver in the draft and expects him to be undrafted.

- ESPN does not have a projection for him.

Outlook

Shuler's speed alone should get him a chance at an NFL team's training camp. He attended the New York Giants Pro Day, and his one elite talent could put him as a potential kick or punt returner. But Shuler did not exactly impress as a receiver or return man at Northwestern, and it's hard to see him getting a major role — or even a roster spot at this point — on an NFL team.